One more to go for Parrott

Friday

Oct 4, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 4, 2013 at 7:12 PM

Parrott is a game away from the school’s first soccer conference title.

Jessika Morgan / Sports Editor

Arendell Parrott Academy soccer usually comes up short in the Eastern Plains Independence Conference, but after defeating Grace Christian, 2-1, Thursday, the Patriots are just one step away from their first title.

Currently standing atop the EPIC, the team hopes to be driven by Thursday’s victory to earn the title. Wednesday’s match was nearly a shutout, but the Eagles scored a late goal inside the fourth minute of the second half.

“They did score, but they didn’t win,” said Parrott forward Oscar Avila. “Coach told us (Wednesday) to pass the ball more, not just kick it to the goal.”

The senior forward had a hand in both Parrott goals. In the 22nd minute of the first half, he dribbled the ball deep inside the Grace penalty box, while sophomore forward Zacchaeus Rasberry finished the job. Rasberry found the right side of the net off an Avila assist.

Avila went on to score on a free kick for the Patriots in the 16th minute of the match, as the Patriots went up, 2-1, over Grace going into the break.

Parrott GK Tripp Combs saved five shots on goal for the game, but Grace Christian’s Austin Lang’s kick after an inbounds pass in the 4th minute of the second half cleared the goalie.

APA’s passing and defending efforts showed Thursday in winning balls and getting stops. Seven of the 10 seniors on the team are defenders who were celebrating Senior Night.

“To me, (the win) means that I’m always going to remember this it since it was my Senior Night,” said midfielder John Tyer, one of the four Parrott captains. “It’s another win that puts us further ahead in the conference.”

Parrott (12-4-1, 9-1-1) travels to St. David’s next week to compete for its first EPIC title, which coach Steve Logan seems optimistic about.

“We are a determined group with a lot of seniors, and they’ve worked hard for many years,” he said. “To be at the top right now is something very special for this group.”

He mentioned underclassmen have scored most of their goals this season, but experienced defenders make opponents’ task difficult.

“We’ve got a great group in front of the goal; it’s hard to get through there,” Logan said.

Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 and Jessika.Morgan@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.